Maq?ma, translated from Arabic, means “assembly.” It is a classical, third person, prosimetric literary genre “in which entertaining anecdotes, often about rogues, mountebanks, and beggars, written in an elegant, rhymed prose (saj?), are presented in a dramatic or narrative context most suitable for the display of the author's eloquence, wit, and erudition” (Luebering, 2019). The Maq?ma is a 10th century creation influenced by the tales emanating from the Qur’an which was widely accepted in locations ranging from India to Spain. It gives an account of a fictional morally-challenged protagonist who is charismatic, erudite and well-spoken and whose ne’er-do-well behaviour often results in his escaping one step ahead of an angry mob. The author creates a cycle consisting of a dozen Maq?m?ts with tales describing different ruses (swindles, scams, lies) often enabled by and reflecting the social and human conditions that exist in the episodic milieux. A literature review of the Maq?m?t genre will explore its historical evolution and its literary and cultural antecedents and characteristics. There will be a particular focus on the seminal work of Badi al-Zamán al-Hamadhání (969-1007). In addition, an examination of the content methodology and its applicability to the research context will be presented. The objective of the research is thus to develop a framework for a systematic analysis of the typological nature of the Maq?m?ts in The Maqámát of Badí‘ al-Zamán al-Hamadhání (translated by Prendergast, 1915) in terms of descriptive variables that define the nature and the outcomes of Maq?m?tic episodes. Specifically, content analysis protocols will be formulated to examine a) the traits and behaviours embodied in the various personae assumed by the mystifying rogue Abul-Fath al-Iskanderi, b) the traits and behaviors that characterize al-Iskanderi’s mark or victim of the ruse, c) the ruse that is perpetrated on the unwitting mark, d) the reaction and the characteristics of the narrator (if discernible), e) the milieu and social and moral insights (if any) derived from the episode, and f) the literary devices/schemes employed in each episode. The results of the content analysis will be used to detect patterns emerging from al-Hamadh?n?’s work. The implications of this investigation are that a) explanatory insights into al-Hamadh?n?‘s writings can be obtained, which b) can be utilised to undertake a more systematic comparative analysis of other works in the genre and the subsequent formats that have evolved from it (such as the Picaresque), and c) provide an effective teaching methodology.